Sydney Howard 1/7/15Mr. White1st Period Pre-EngineeringAuto Safety Reflective EssayThe purpose of this project was to construct the lightest possible car body that would keep two passengers (eggs) in their seats and undamaged in a frontal collision. The car also needed to include features that would attract a person to buy it, such as appearance and comfort. Restraints and a crumple zone are among the most important parts of a car to help improve passenger safety. For our project, we wrapped rubber bands around the seats. Since rubber bands stretch, we could easily put the eggs in their seats and take them out again, while they were still held firmly in place. We used 3 sponges for the crumple zone. Sponges are lightweight, and they provide sufficient cushioning for the car to bounce back when it crashes, which protects the car and the passengers from damage. In order to reduce the shock when in the collision, we also used rubber bands to attach the cabin of the car to the base piece of cardboard. We had two small pieces of wood parallel to each other attached to each side of the car. Holes were drilled into them, and the rubber bands were threaded through the holes, attached to the cabin on one side, while a small cylindrical piece of wood was threaded through the other side of the rubber bands to hold them in place. In order to attract a possible buyer, we used cotton balls to cushion the chairs. This added comfort for the passengers. We also gave the car a new vintage look by tapping pictures of an old ford to the sides. We used a plastic bag as a windshield so that the drivers view wasnt obstructed. The crumple zone testing was very successful, therefore the car performed as expected. The eggs and vehicle refrained from suffering any damage, and the occupants remained securely in their seats when the crash was through. During construction, we faced a series of small issues that we were able to resolve without too much trouble and in at least a somewhat timely manner. Among them was that the pieces of wood holding the rubber bands were right next to the holes in the base that the bolts meant to hold the body to the base were supposed to go through. When we tried to screw the nuts onto the bolts, they didnt fit. This was resolved by using longer bolts that extended past the wood. This allowed the nuts to secure the body of the car by twisting them until they reached the pieces of wood. Another issue we faced was that the roof of the cabin wasnt securely closed. Since we were using the roof as a door to put the eggs in their seats, we needed it to open and close. However it took us a little while to figure out how to keep it closed while the car was being used. In the end, we discovered that the crumple zone sponges could be attached to the base using string. We made a sewing needle out of a paper clip, thread the string through the sponge, and tied it around the entire car in a way that held the roof down. I would improve this design by putting something solid at the bottom of the seats so that the eggs didnt slide forward at all. They did shift a tiny bit forward in their seats, but not in any way that injured them. I would also add more features to the car to attract customers. The car wasnt very cosmetically appealing and legroom was lacking for the passengers. Also, realistically passengers would not enter the car through the roof. I would find a way to put the doors on the sides of the cabin instead. Overall, I feel satisfied having completed the project. The outcome was successful and the car performed as planned, so theres no reason to complain!